Tag: iphone

Apple’s smart battery case is good if you’re ever in a bind and need to quickly juice up your iPhone, particularly if you’re away from an outlet. Assuming the case itself is charged, I was able to get about an extra day of battery life from the iPhone XS Max, which already lasts me a day or longer. You just slide your iPhone into the case and into the Lightning port built into the bottom of it. You can charge your iPhone and the case by plugging them into a wall together: the case is smart enoug

Apple’s smart battery case is good if you’re ever in a bind and need to quickly juice up your iPhone, particularly if you’re away from an outlet. Assuming the case itself is charged, I was able to get about an extra day of battery life from the iPhone XS Max, which already lasts me a day or longer.

It’s easy to use. You just slide your iPhone into the case and into the Lightning port built into the bottom of it. You can charge your iPhone and the case by plugging them into a wall together: the case is smart enough to charge your iPhone first before it begins filling its own tank. You can also just drop it on a wireless charger, which is convenient, but I found it takes longer to fully charge the case that way.

I recommend using a high power charger, like one included with you iPad, to fill both your iPhone and the case quickly.

Apple’s AirPods may be one of the hottest iPhone accessories you can buy right now, but they aren’t just made for listening to music. You can activate a feature called “Live Listen,” which lets you use AirPods to amplify sound, allowing them to double as basic hearing aids. Apple has long prided itself on the accessibility features it builds into its devices, helping people who are hard of hearing or have sight limitations more easily use the products. The AirPods Live Listen feature uses the mi

Apple’s AirPods may be one of the hottest iPhone accessories you can buy right now, but they aren’t just made for listening to music. You can activate a feature called “Live Listen,” which lets you use AirPods to amplify sound, allowing them to double as basic hearing aids.

Apple has long prided itself on the accessibility features it builds into its devices, helping people who are hard of hearing or have sight limitations more easily use the products. in some cases, Apple’s gadgets can be used to improve consumers’ lives. They’re just not talked about a lot because they’re not really primary functions.

The AirPods Live Listen feature uses the microphone on your iPhone and then pipes the audio right into your AirPods. So, if you’re hard of hearing, instead of asking someone to speak up or sitting out of a conversation entirely, you can put your iPhone on a table — or even hold it close to someone’s mouth — and the AirPods will amplify what’s being said.

It works well and can even be used as a sort of spy gag. Since your iPhone continues to send audio to your AirPods, you can leave your iPhone on a table and listen in on the conversation even as you walk away, as long as the AirPods maintain the Bluetooth connection to your phone.

Microsoft says anyone who still uses its Windows 10 mobile platform — once called Windows Phone — should switch over to an iPhone or an Android phone. A change to the Windows 10 Mobile support page was first spotted by Thurrott, a site that covers Microsoft. “With the Windows 10 Mobile OS end of support, we recommend that customers move to a supported Android or iOS device,” Microsoft said. The company once had huge plans for Windows on mobile devices, particularly when it refreshed the operatin

Microsoft says anyone who still uses its Windows 10 mobile platform — once called Windows Phone — should switch over to an iPhone or an Android phone. A change to the Windows 10 Mobile support page was first spotted by Thurrott, a site that covers Microsoft.

Microsoft said that on December 10, 2019 it will stop sending “new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free assisted support options, or technical content updates from Microsoft for free.” In other words, there aren’t going to be any more updates, and only a few phone models will even be supported until that final date.

“With the Windows 10 Mobile OS end of support, we recommend that customers move to a supported Android or iOS device,” Microsoft said. “Microsoft’s mission statement to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more, compels us to support our Mobile apps on those platforms and devices.”

Microsoft has put a lot of effort into both the iPhone and Android, where its suite of Office products are available. It also has a partnership with Samsung, which sells some versions of its flagship Galaxy phones with Office pre-installed.

The company once had huge plans for Windows on mobile devices, particularly when it refreshed the operating system in 2010 and launched Windows Phone 7. At the time, it held a parade and declared that both BlackBerry and iPhone were dead. Microsoft also acquired Nokia’s mobile unit so that it could build Windows Phone products internally. That too was a failure, and Microsoft eventually wrote down its $7.6 billion Nokia acquisition.

There are lots of reasons for why Windows failed on mobile. The largest was probably because there weren’t enough apps, including popular ones that were also available on Android and iPhone. Terry Myerson, the former head of Windows Phone, talked a bit about its failure in March of last year.

“We had a differentiated experience, but it’s so clear in hindsight that the disruption in business model which Android represented was enormous, and that building our early versions of Windows Phone on an incomplete Windows CE platform, designed for small embedded systems, left us too hobbled to ever catch up,” Myerson said.

Apple has been ordered by a German court to stop using part of a press release claiming all iPhones would be available in the country through carriers and resellers, a copy of the ruling seen by Reuters showed. The iPhone maker was banned from selling the iPhone 7 and 8 models in Germany in December following a patent dispute with Qualcomm. Qualcomm on Thursday obtained the preliminary injunction stopping Apple from using a statement that it released to the press in response to the December ruli

Apple has been ordered by a German court to stop using part of a press release claiming all iPhones would be available in the country through carriers and resellers, a copy of the ruling seen by Reuters showed.

The iPhone maker was banned from selling the iPhone 7 and 8 models in Germany in December following a patent dispute with Qualcomm.

Qualcomm on Thursday obtained the preliminary injunction stopping Apple from using a statement that it released to the press in response to the December ruling.

At the time, the iPhone maker said that it would no longer stock the iPhone 7 and 8 at its 15 retail outlets in Germany but those models would remain available to customers through more than 4,300 carriers and resellers across Germany.

“The press release … is misleading as it contains statements that are at least potentially deceptive about the availability of the goods, namely the iPhones affected by the ruling,” a three-judge panel wrote in the latest ruling.

The judges said Apple’s press release gives consumers and retailers the false impression of unlimited availability of the phones.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment on Friday. Qualcomm said “the order speaks for itself.”

Shares of Tesla fell 10 percent on Friday after the company announced layoffs, but the electric-car maker is still in the lead position on a technology that is taking over the world, said an early Tesla board member. He is moving faster than anybody else, going global faster than anybody else, and today, Tesla is essentially the iPhone of the electric-car market,” said Westly, a California politician and venture capitalist who was an early investor in the company. While other premium automakers

Shares of Tesla fell 10 percent on Friday after the company announced layoffs, but the electric-car maker is still in the lead position on a technology that is taking over the world, said an early Tesla board member.

Tesla’s Friday announcement that it will cut 7 percent of its workforce is a sign CEO Elon Musk is taking steps to “right-size” the company and prepare it for the future, said former Tesla board member Steve Westly.

” He is moving faster than anybody else, going global faster than anybody else, and today, Tesla is essentially the iPhone of the electric-car market,” said Westly, a California politician and venture capitalist who was an early investor in the company.

While other premium automakers have now jumped into the electric-car market, they were caught “with their shorts down when the tide went out,” and Tesla now has a large lead in that market, Westly said. The company also posted a surprise profit in the third quarter, and Musk has said he expects Tesla to be cash-flow positive and profitable going forward.

“They’ve won the North American premium market race,” he said. “The challenge now is to win the mass market, to go international. I think he is preparing the company to do that. I wouldn’t bet against him.”

However, not everyone agrees with Westly’s assessment.

Tesla’s fourth-quarter update indicated that more than 75 percent of new Model 3 orders came from new customers rather than the existing reservations list. Almost all of those new orders were for mid- and high-price variants of the sedan, said Rajvindra Gill, an analyst for Needham.

Gill estimates that about 90 percent of the 420,000 reservations on that list built up the last couple of years are customers who wanted the still-unreleased standard battery version of the vehicle, which is $35,000.

The issue is that as the $7,500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles continues to wind down, Tesla could start to see customers cancel reservations in the first and second quarter if the company cannot make the planned $35,000 base model quickly enough.

The other issue is that Tesla’s profitable quarter depended in part on selling the more expensive versions of the Model 3, which should make up a smaller piece of the total if Tesla begins producing the cheaper version.

“So I think there’s a lot of risk to the name given the level of valuation we see in this name, given the level of debt the company has, and given the level of competition that will be entering the market this year and next year,” Gill said.

Apple’s former retail chief, Ron Johnson, told CNBC on Wednesday that the tech giant’s stock is still a great bet for investors in the long run. A self-professed Apple “fanboy,” Johnson attributes his confidence to the company’s consumer franchise, leadership, cash balance, and great products. In August, Apple became the first U.S. company to reach $1 trillion in stock market value. Apple’s a great buy.” Leading Apple’s retail division from 2000 to 2011, Johnson designed what’s considered among

Apple’s former retail chief, Ron Johnson, told CNBC on Wednesday that the tech giant’s stock is still a great bet for investors in the long run.

“I can’t imagine a better buy for your portfolio for the next decade,” said Johnson, founder and current CEO of Enjoy, which aims to merge online convenience with personal shopping services for tech products.

A self-professed Apple “fanboy,” Johnson attributes his confidence to the company’s consumer franchise, leadership, cash balance, and great products. He said he owns the stock. “I’m long. I love Apple.”

However, shares of Apple, which has been in the hot seat in recent months due to slowing iPhone sales growth, is down about 12 percent over the past 12 months and off more than 30 percent since its all-time in October. In August, Apple became the first U.S. company to reach $1 trillion in stock market value. Apple’s current market cap is a far cry from that at around $733 billion.

One of the factors that appears to be pressuring iPhone sales is Apple’s battery replacement program. According to a well-connected Apple insider Tuesday, the company replaced 11 million iPhone batteries for $29 each during the length of offer, which started a year ago after user complaints led Apple to admit that it slowed down the performance of older devices. Apple had predicted that it would replace between just 1 million to 2 million batteries.

But Johnson pointed to a silver lining in the results of the battery program. “Those 10 million didn’t upgrade their phone,” he argued. “Next year, they’ll be ready, right? Apple’s a great buy.”

Leading Apple’s retail division from 2000 to 2011, Johnson designed what’s considered among the best retail store strategies in the world. Before Apple, he was a Target executive for 15 years. After Apple, he served as CEO of J.C. Penney for what turned out to be a disastrous 17-months, which saw shoppers reject his radical store and pricing changes and saw investors flee the stock in droves.

Apple replaced 11 million iPhone batteries during the length of its battery replacement program, even though it only expected to replace about 1 million to 2 million of them, according to well-connected Apple insider John Gruber. Apple’s battery replacement program started last January and ran through Dec. 31. It’s one reason why Apple may have missed shipment estimates in its fiscal fourth quarter and why it will ship fewer than expected in the first quarter, Apple said. Cook called out the iPh

Apple replaced 11 million iPhone batteries during the length of its battery replacement program, even though it only expected to replace about 1 million to 2 million of them, according to well-connected Apple insider John Gruber.

Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed the figure during an all-hands meeting that was first reported by Bloomberg.

Apple’s battery replacement program started last January and ran through Dec. 31. It allowed owners of the iPhone 6 and newer models to replace their battery for just $29.

The program was launched after Apple began to slow down the performance of devices that had aging batteries and were more prone to turn off without warning. Battery replacements helped iPhones operate at peak performance again.

It’s one reason why Apple may have missed shipment estimates in its fiscal fourth quarter and why it will ship fewer than expected in the first quarter, Apple said.

On Jan. 2, Apple revised its revenue forecast for its fiscal first quarter. Cook attributed the lower-than-expected iPhone sales and lowered guidance to trade tensions with China and economic weakness.

“In addition, these and other factors resulted in fewer iPhone upgrades than we had anticipated,” Cook explained.

Cook called out the iPhone battery replacement program in the same letter, when he said that “some customers [were] taking advantage of significantly reduced pricing for iPhone battery replacements.” But, he didn’t mention that Apple had expected about 10 million fewer customers to upgrade their batteries, as Gruber states.

Apple just launched three new smart battery cases for its newest iPhones. It’s the first time Apple has launched a battery case since the one it first began selling for the iPhone 6/iPhone 6s. The cases are available in either black or white and can be purchased for the iPhone XS, the iPhone XS Max and the iPhone XR. The cases can be ordered now and will be available in stores on Jan. 18. WATCH: CNBC’s Todd Haselton’s iPhone XR review

Apple just launched three new smart battery cases for its newest iPhones. It’s the first time Apple has launched a battery case since the one it first began selling for the iPhone 6/iPhone 6s.

The cases are available in either black or white and can be purchased for the iPhone XS, the iPhone XS Max and the iPhone XR. They add battery life but make the phone a bit thicker. They also work with wireless chargers, so you can drop them on a charging pad to juice them up instead of plugging them in.

Apple says the iPhone XS case offers up to 21 hours of internet use or 25 hours of video playback, the iPhone XS Max case offers up to 20 hours of internet use or 25 hours of video playback, and the iPhone XR case offers up to 22 hours of internet use or 27 hours of video playback.

The cases can be ordered now and will be available in stores on Jan. 18.

Apple’s latest iPhone models are facing huge discounts in China as retailers try to sell the struggling devices. That comes as the top-of-the-line Apple smartphones have posted poor China sales on what experts say are too-high prices for the world’s largest smartphone market and a lack of innovative features compared to local competitors like Huawei. Other third-party sellers on the site had the devices for even cheaper, offering flash sales to try to unload iPhones. Sunion, an Apple re-seller,

That comes as the top-of-the-line Apple smartphones have posted poor China sales on what experts say are too-high prices for the world’s largest smartphone market and a lack of innovative features compared to local competitors like Huawei. The technology giant itself acknowledged earlier this month that unexpectedly low sales in the Chinese market would likely lead to worse-than-anticipated first quarter revenues.

One of the most recent iPhone cost cuts in the country came from Suning, a large Chinese retailer, which changed the price of the 128GB version of the iPhone XR from 6,999 yuan ($1,036) to 5,799 yuan ($858) — a 1,200 yuan ($178) discount.

Other third-party sellers on the site had the devices for even cheaper, offering flash sales to try to unload iPhones. One seller had a 256GB version of the iPhone XS Max, Apple’s most premium device, for 9,699 yuan ($1,436), way below the U.S. firm’s official selling price of 10,999 yuan ($1,628) for that smartphone.

Still, that remains more expensive than in the U.S., where the same phone would sell for $1,249, according to the Apple website.

And that’s just on one site. Other retailers in China are also putting their iPhones on sale. Sunion, an Apple re-seller, was advertising 700 yuan off for both the 128GB and 256GB versions of the iPhone XR. E-commerce site Pinduoduo, which allows third-parties to sell products, also had hefty discounts across all of the latest iPhone models.

Apple’s issues in China are down to two major factors, experts and local consumers say: It got its pricing wrong, and it has failed to introduce features to excite consumers in a forward-thinking technology market. Now, analysts said, competitors have taken market share in the premium smartphone space.

Apple plans to unveil three new iPhone models later this year, including a successor to the XR, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. The tech giant’s new phones will include new camera features, the WSJ reported, citing people familiar with the situation. The higher-end model will be fitted with a triple rear camera, while the lower-end models will be fitted with a double rear camera, the report said. One will feature a liquid-crystal display (LCD), the display that Apple’s lower-end iPhone

Apple plans to unveil three new iPhone models later this year, including a successor to the XR, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

The tech giant’s new phones will include new camera features, the WSJ reported, citing people familiar with the situation. The higher-end model will be fitted with a triple rear camera, while the lower-end models will be fitted with a double rear camera, the report said.

One will feature a liquid-crystal display (LCD), the display that Apple’s lower-end iPhone XR model currently comes with. The XR has reportedly struggled to win over Chinese consumers. The firm recently lowered its revenue guidance for the first quarter, alarming investors, and cited lower-than-expected iPhone revenue “primarily in Greater China” as one of the main reasons behind its warning.

According to the WSJ, Apple is considering sticking with phones that contain organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays from 2020, and dropping LCD displays altogether. OLED screens make images appear brighter and sharper than LCD panels.

Apple was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC. Apple shares were 0.1 percent higher in premarket trade Friday.